John Mayall had no goal other than “to make a normal blues album” with “A Special Life,” his first studio album in five years. Which is what the veteran artist and bandleader has done over the course of his 51-year recording career.

“Any time I make an album, I’m going to do something of my own, always do an update of where I’ve been — the songs or the subject matter — and just go from there,” Mayall tells Billboard. “I can’t think of anything else that I might be doing. Once I got started in the business, so to speak, it kind of took care if itself and there wasn’t any other choice. Fortunately, music is one of those things that it doesn’t matter what your age is; as long as you’re physically capable of performing, then of course that’s the way to go. And if you start adding it up, after 50 years, it’s obviously quite a career.” {…}

Mayall and his band are currently in Germany and wrap up its European tour on April 19 in London. North American dates begin May 23 in Napa, Calif., with shows booked into September at this point. Mayall is also working on more releases for his Private Stash live recording series, including some that will make longtime fans particularly happy.

“I finally got ahold of some tapes that were made in the ’60s of the lineup when Peter Green, John McVie and Mick Fleetwood were in the band,” Mayall says. “I’ll give those a listen, so that’ll probably be the next one on Private Stash. That’s a rare slice of history, just remarkable. That band was on fire. It’s a wonderful piece of history.”

Mayall helped so many incredible musicians cut their teeth in his band before going off to bigger things. My favorite is Mick Taylor who left to join the Stones for their ‘golden’ period 1969-1974, best exemplified (live) on the Brussels 1973 concert. For Mayall’s 70th b’day, Taylor, Clapton and others showed up for some major blues-breakin’.

Hi CT!
Got to meet& talk to him ~15 years ago. Remarkably humble for all his efforts.
I’m well> Had a great night last night. Saw a version of Mamet’s “Race” in KC that was excellent, then spent many hours with dear friends.
Tomorrow night John Cale will be here and buddy got front roww tickets in local arts center we perform in. Should be lots of fun.
Hope you’re well…

Hey CT, I’ve been checking out that Yukos deal for which Khordokovsky was incaged , and it appears that Putin clusterfucked Jacob Rothschild out of billions by making his shares worth pennies on the dollar. I really just wanted to say hi. but knowing that family holds a grudge, I wonder if that is playing any role in framing Russia.

Aloha, defogger…! …Putin clusterfucked Jacob Rothschild… How so inparticular, defogger…? Remember that we, and the EU, have just approved a raft of Billion dollar loans, but nothing near what’s needed…! ;-)

Hey CT, I think we are on different pages, which is surely my fault because I gave no context. The EU does what pleases the US, with all the circularity involved nobody on the outside knows who is loan sharking Ukraine for for how much.

Considering how many of our tax dollars are being recycled via “our ” IMF,the NED. USAID and other fronts, the only thing we know for sure is how the money will be delivered : as mobster juice loans with structural conditionalities that ensure debt- dependency economics leading to serfdom,e.g., Greece.

My initial comment was in a 2002 timeline and had no EU connection outside of, maybe, BIS in Geneva, i.e., headquarters for Empire marching orders.

not before 11/12/13 I’m finding. Which is nothing.
They roundly beat me up when all I was trying to do was offer a tiny bit of hope. Wondering that without any posts of their own, how credible the source, even though arguments are well presented like a prosecutor’s, with as much vitriol and meanspiritedness as anyone I’ve seen here.
I let them go, thinking, ‘Maybe they just want to practice their skills.’
Now I think no. There’s something else going on.
Thought to get your opinion…

I didn’t take them that seriously, tried to deflate animus with kindness and praise and humor. that was the wrong thing to do, apparently. I battle with trolls all the time. Never seen anything like this. But, except for one issue we actually agree. But am convinced that they have well practiced two modes: full on charm – like they talk to you, I’ve noticed – and scorched earth slaying to make a jungle wilt and blow away.